


The Fake Boyfriend Problem

by INTPSlytherin_reylove97



Series: OneShots [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Author knows nothing about math but she tried, Ben is the fake boyfriend, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gen, I CANT HELP IT REY AND ROSE ARE JUST BFF GOALS, This is more of friendship piece than romance, for reylocalligraphy, turning that trope on its head!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-03 00:10:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16797514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/INTPSlytherin_reylove97/pseuds/INTPSlytherin_reylove97
Summary: When Rose accidently tells her parents Rey is to bring her boyfriend for Christmas, instead of telling them she was bring Finn, the girls run into an interesting problem.Rey does not have a boyfriend.Cue attractive and socially awkward Ben Solo who wants to get out of his family's Christmas.





	The Fake Boyfriend Problem

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reylocalligraphy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylocalligraphy/gifts).



> This is a very special birthday gift to the wonderful and amazing Reylocalligraphy! I remember we talked about your favorite fics and what you'd love to see in a fic-- Fake dating, except Rey needing Ben to be her fake boyfriend to meet the Ticos and CHRISTMAS! And math, Rey and Ben being math nerds :D
> 
> I am here to deliver! (and I tried my best to make it short too!)
> 
> SO...this also took longer than I wanted and I am sorry it was not sooner! Apparently I underestimated how difficult it would be to write a purely fluffy fic. 
> 
> Also, this became more about Rey and Rose rather than Reylo at some point, but I don't think you will mind! :D
> 
> Typos will be fixed later.
> 
> Enjoy! :D

“You did _what_?” Rey shrilled to her roommate and best friend, Rose.

Her friend had the decency to look sheepish, opting to sit on the edge of Rey’s bed rather than flopping down.

“What else was I supposed to do?” Rose pleaded, slumping pathetically. “They were cornering me and I didn’t want to tell them about Finn yet so I just kind of blurted it out!”

“But you invited Finn to come with us,” she reminded Rose heatedly, standing up from her pile of blankets and math textbooks. Finals week was slowly killing them both, but this added stress did nothing to ease Rey of her classes. She had a nine am final the next day, Rose breaking this new to her half past midnight was in the slightest an action of cruelty. “You have an _actual_ boyfriend while I am a single pringle!”

“Oooo! Pringles sound so good right now,” Rose moaned distractedly, “Let’s go pick some up later as a midnight snack.”

“We should,” Rey’s eyes widen delightfully, “I swear I saw a coupon for— _wait_ ,” she shook her head, pointing accusatory finger at Rose. “Don’t distract me with food. I am still upset with you!”

“Come on Rey, it is not _that_ b—”

“You told your parents I am bring my boyfriend over for Christmas!” She practically roared, “ _I don’t have a boyfriend, Rose_!”

A loud bang sounded on the wall by Rey’s bed, she and Rose wincing.

“Shut up!” Their other roommate, Phasma, grumbled came from the other side of the wall. “It’s past midnight, _some of us_ want to sleep before their exams Jacobs!”

Rolling her eyes, Rey dropped her voice lower, “All I am saying is—why the hell lie not only about yourself but about _me_ ,” she stressed, dropping to sit on the beanbag chair between their desks. “I love your parents.”

“I know you do.” Rose smiled sadly at her.

The Ticos were the nicest and most generous family Rey has ever encountered, and treated her as family. They always knew their daughter and Rey were roommates, but once they discovered she was an orphan and did not necessarily have any family to go home to for the holidays and breaks they took her under their wing. Lying to the couple was something Rey could never fathom, yet here she was roped into a little string of tall tales at Rose’s hand.

“And they love you,” her roommate reassured her, “But they are also very overbearing and are constantly butting into my business and they _finally_ shut up about me finding a boyfriend—”

“Which may I remind you, _you do have_ ,” Rey interjected moodily

“—When I mentioned _you_ had a boyfriend,” Rose finished with a small shrug.

“Oh,” Rey muttered, not quite expecting that.

“All the attention suddenly went to you and I finally felt like I could breathe, no longer having this pressure of having to introduce my boyfriend, because you have yours!”

“Who is fictional!” Rey hissed, dropping her face into her hands. Looking from between her fingers, she glared at her friend. “Pray tell where I can find the apparent lover of mine?”

Opening her mouth, Rose shut it a second later.

Oh dear.

They were going to have a problem.

* * *

“Just ask a dude,” Phasma ordered disinterestedly, stabbing periodically at her salad. She frowned at the food, pushing it aside once she realized the concoction from the dinning hall was not going to get any better the longer she picked at it. “You are attractive enough to get a guy to be your boyfriend.”

Looking up from her number theory notes, Rey sighed at the woman across from her.

“I simply don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea,” she answered, picking up a fry from their massive pile in the middle of the table. “I am not the type for relationships.”

“Then let them know up front it is fake,” Phasma said as though it were the obvious answer. “I’m sure there is a bloke somewhere who’d given in to that.”

“I have nothing to offer,” Rey grabbed more fries, stuffing them into her mouth. “I can’t hire someone because I am broke, I can’t blackmail someone because well…I have no one to blackmail.” She rolled her eyes, dusting off her hands. Blackmailing someone would be in her wheelhouse, Rey the constant observer. However, she didn’t have troublesome or threatening people in her circles. Not like back in Jakku. “Who the hell would want to be my fake boyfriend?”

Phasma suddenly gasped, her eyes zeroing in on someone behind Rey.

“Unless you’d be offering _them_ an out.”

“An _out_?” Rey’s nose scrunched. “Why wouldn’t someone not want to go home for the holidays?”

A gleeful smirk graced Phasma’s features. “Ben Solo!” She called out, Rey freezing at the mention of the name. “Come sit with us,” she barked.

A shadow cast over Rey’s shoulder.

She did not dare glance at him.

“I was just going to go—”

“Sit!” Phasma practically shouted.

Ben followed the woman’s orders, sitting in the open seat beside Rey.

Rey could not help but peak at him this time; he was sitting right next to her.

While the two knew each other—after all, they were both math majors in the same year in one of the smallest departments on campus—Rey and Ben hardly ever spoke to one another.

Mostly due to the fact Rey heard crazy stories about him. How he had a temper and was callous in his remarks. Whispered amongst her peers were tall tales on their experiences of working with him on group projects; how he’d take over the _entire_ project.

However, Rey wasn’t too sure why he never talked to her.

She did not have a grudge against him or despised him for any previous actions. In fact, she kind of liked it when he went on tangents in class. One time she had to excuse herself to the restroom before bursting into laughter when Ben began correcting one of their professors on a equation.

Of course the know-it-all was correct.

When wasn’t he?

A kind of funny too, though no one ever caught his sarcastic mumbles. Rey only heard him because she sat a seat away, the rest of the class preferring to sit on the other side of the small classroom.

Okay, maybe she also had a reputation of being a little obnoxious with her comments in class, but she never had rumors of heinous proportion spread about her. At least she _hoped_ she didn’t.

Seeing him up close, she realized Ben Solo looked rather… _soft_. His long dark hair brushed along his jaw and eyes were those of a daydreamer behind his glasses. And his Ravenclaw sweater looked warm and _wholesome_.

He didn’t appear to be the ranging villain her peers painted him to be.

As though sensing Rey’s penetrating stare, Ben looked at her and mumbled a greeting.

She immediately ducked her head away, the equations in her notebook blending together in her determination to look focused.

“Are you doing anything for the holidays?” Phasma asked rather bluntly.

“Besides suffering through a very stilted Christmas dinner with my parents and uncle,” Ben said dryly, his eyes focused on the macaroni and cheese before him. It was rather bland, Rey abandoning her own and opting for fries halfway through lunch. “No, I’m not doing much.”

“Perfect,” Phasma grinned deviously at him, before sneaking a glance at Rey bubbling with excitement. Ben quirked an eyebrow this, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “What if I told you I can get you out of Christmas from high tension hell if you little, itty bitty favor?”

His head snapped up, brown eyes widening a fraction. “You—you know something that can get me out? Because my mom can see right through my lies—”

“Be Rey’s fake boyfriend for Christmas,” Phasma declared before shoving a mouthful of Caesar salad into her mouth.

Ben blanched at the suggestion, a nervous chuckle escaping him.

Embarrassed, Rey slumped down further into her seat.

“ _Excuse me_?”

Oh god, there went her dignity.

* * *

“ _He said ‘yes’_?” Rose screeched in delight, bouncing on her bed. Strewn clothes toppled to the floor in her excitement, her packing long forgotten in favor of gushing over Ben Solo.

“Uh, yeah,” Rey muttered, unable recall how the entire conversation went down.

He agreed. Easily, and even said he’d take a turn driving.

However he demanded a detailed list of her likes and dislikes, as well as important facts about her life. Apparently, if he was going to be a fake boyfriend, he wanted to be a damn _good_ one. Which required an extensive and meticulously put together word document and color coding.

Ben Solo liked _color coding_? She still didn’t know what to do with _that_ information.

“Ben Solo—frighteningly tall and built like an oak tree Ben Solo, agreed to be _your_ fake boyfriend?” Rose asked, earning an exasperated sigh from Rey.

“Yes, why is that so hard to believe?”

“Because it is Ben _freaking_ Solo—he is terrifying and his mom is Dean of Students, not to mention oddly hot—”

Rey’s face began to flush, becoming squeamish with the boy talk. She ducked into packing, hoping her mind wouldn’t drift too deeply into Ben’s looks. He was pretending to be her boyfriend after all. She should _try_ to be respectful in her thoughts. “I wouldn’t call him hot—”

“There is a rumor he has an _eight pack—_ ”

Rey gapped, Rose jaw dropping at her reaction. Rey quickly composed herself.

That—that would be impossible. _Right_? “I highly doubt that! He wears grandpa sweaters!” Rey defended in a huff.

“Oh so you do pay attention to him!”

“Shut up! I am doing this for you!”

Rey’s shouts did nothing to quell Rose, the shorter woman becoming even more jubilant at her friend’s flustered anger.

“I need to go tell Finn!” Rose dashed out of the room to the living room where he phone was charging during dinner. “He’d never believe it! I am going to need to take ALL the photographs this Christmas!”

The petite woman cackled down the hall, earning another groan and shout from Phasma to be quiet.

Throwing her favorite green sweater into her duffle bag, Rey noticed her phone blinking on her desk. Picking it up, she saw a notification.

_ Ben _

_I sent you a packet on my information._

_It is basic knowledge. Please read it._

_I will be quizzing you._

She raised an eyebrow at the message, now fully understanding why Ben was despised amongst some of his peers. He was…detail oriented and particular. And put more thought into this whole fake dating thing than she did, which was great…

Only she wasn’t too sure if she’d be prepared for a quiz per say. But she would be the only one privy to Ben Solo’s life, at least to an extent. This was too good to pass up.

Shaking her head with a growing smirk, she went to her laptop and opened her email.

She read the first two bullet points and snorted. “Let’s see who this Benjamin _Chewbacca_ Solo really is…”

* * *

“All you have to do is act couple-y—it’s not that big of a deal,” Rose declared as they began to pile into the car on the Saturday after finals. The drive to her parents’ house was only a couple hours long, not making it too terrible to be cramped together. “You both did your studying,” she rolled her eyes at that. Rose teased Rey endlessly about the ‘getting to know you’ study packets. “And we have all seen those Hallmark movies.” She finished with a bright, mischievous smile as Ben placed his duffle bag in the trunk of the car.

Finn and Rey shared a look—no, no they had not seen all the Hallmark Christmas movies and they did not plan too in the future. Rey highly doubted Ben did as well; he seemed more like a BBC miniseries guy.

“And just to clarify,” he spoke up, peering down at Rose quizzically, “It is _your_ parents I will be meeting as Rey’s boyfriend?”

“Precisely,” she answered, Rey shaking her head once more behind Ben.

“And you are not going to tell your parents Finn is actually your boyfriend?” he then asked, raising an eyebrow. Rey had to hand it to him for being somewhat calm; she flipped her lip when she found out Rose’s little plan. At least someone agreed with her; she was quickly finding out Ben and her agreed on multiple matters only they went about it differently.

* * *

_The previous day…_

“A Caramel Macchiato, just how you like it,” Ben declared as he set the coffee in front of her. “At least that is what you wrote—for all I know you could have lied,” he shrugged as he took the seat across from her.

“I didn’t lie,” she said, raising a questioning eyebrow. “I actually don’t like liars.”

“I’m not either. And yet you need a fake boyfriend?” Ben shot back, “Something is not adding up here.”

“You are the person who agreed to be a fake boyfriend without finding out all the details.”

Lifting her head from her drink, she met his eyes, warm and open, waiting for her to explain. She meet his gaze, just as unwavering, chin held high, hoping he’d be the one to take the leap first.

His lips twitched at her resilience, caving moments later.

“My family can be a bit much,” he started slowly, fingers tapping on the table lightly. “Lots of drama and misunderstandings makes for awkward Skywalker-Solo family dinners.” He averted his gaze from hers, focusing on the rain dripping down the other side of the window. “I love them, but they don’t really agree with some choices I made recently. Going somewhere else for the holidays gives me an opportunity to get away from it all and not be guilted by my parents or uncles.”

“Oh,” Rey uttered, not expecting him to be transparent with her. His persona created by his peers shadowed the softer, humbler man Ben happened to be.

“Now your turn,” he reminded her gently.

She took a deep breath and answered. “My best friend’s family love me more than any family ever could. Rose, for some reason, told them I had a boyfriend to deflect and in return her parents got excited and insisted I bring him.” She then chuckled mockingly at her own misfortune. “Only I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Cue me.”

“Exactly.” She allowed herself to grin, surprised when he gave a small smile back. “Now you are getting it.”

“Well, you must really like them if you are going this extra length—that is admirable,” he said shyly. “Actually, everything about you is really admirable.”

“That’s nice,” Rey answered, stuttering a hasty ‘thank you’ afterwards. Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, she ventured to look back up at him. His eyes were back on her, staring at her oddly…as though she were something to behold.

Her smile brightened, trying to find the right words to say.

“Uh—is it true you actually know how to do calligraphy?”

Was that really the first thing she could think of?

“Yeah,” he blushed a little at his admittance, running a hand through his shaggy hair. “Do you…do you want to see pictures of my work?”

“Absolutely!”

* * *

_Back to the present…_

The shorter girl blinked up at him, though there was a light fury in her eyes for her actions being questioned. “Eventually _yes_ , but they need to warm up to the idea—you and Rey are the warm up.”

“But wouldn’t it be better to just tell them the truth,” Ben said nervously, before glancing at Rey. His eyes widened at his implication. “Not—not that I don’t _want_ to be your fake boyfriend, I am perfectly fine to be your fake boyfriend and get out of Christmas—and I like this, it’s cool--”

“I am their pride and joy,” Rose interrupted before Ben could make a further fool of himself. “I am the reason they live—”

“Don’t you have a sister?” Rey interjected, an amused smile on her lips.

The Tico sisters were close, as close as two sisters can be until a recent hiccup…

“She decided to stay in _Connecticut_ ,” she spat the state like it was sour and foul in her mouth, “to meet her boyfriend’s family. So as of right now, since she is a traitor—”

“She says that with _love_ ,” Finn reminded his little annoyed girlfriend.

“—I need to be the perfect daughter and not crush their hearts.” She shrugged with a frustrated smile. “Simple as that.”

She turned on her heel and marched to the driver’s seat, leaving Finn, Ben, and Rey in her wake.

Sighing deeply, Finn turned to the two, “I will love you two forever if you don’t die by the end of this week.” Patting their shoulders, Finn went to the passenger side door.

Peaking over at Rey, Ben smiled both puzzled and touched as she watched her friends climb into the car.

“You really love them don’t you?” He muttered, reaching over to close the truck of the car. “I mean going along and fake dating someone—someone you barely know—”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say I barely know you,” Rey teased, “Afterall, you did send a very detailed study guide on the ways of Ben _Chewbacca_ Solo.”

He cringed, “I knew I should not have included the middle name.”

* * *

The car ride was rather quick without incident, except for maybe Rose’s speed demon driving, but the four made it to the Tico home in one piece.

Finn consumed the time trying to chat with Ben, however he was only capable of monosyllables when he wasn’t integrating or questioning—or, well—talking to Rey.

While initially nervous about not being believable, or worse not having anything to talk about. However her worries were eased as conversation flowed naturally between her and Ben.

“I’m just saying if you read the last problem carefully and thoroughly, without rush—” Rey rolled her eyes as he continued, “I think you would have received an A rather than a B on the final.”

“I wouldn’t need to worry so much if Mr. Perfect-Score didn’t ruin the grading curve,” Rey shot back with a good natured grin.

From the front seat Finn glanced at Rose with a knowing look. Craning his neck a little higher, he tried to listen in on more of the conversation in the backseat.

“And,” Finn paused trying to comprehend what was exactly transpiring between Rey and Ben. “And they never spoke to each other until three days ago?”

“ _I know_ ,” Rose said gleefully, wiggling her eyebrows playfully. “They speak in their own math nerd mumbo jumbo. It is both fascinating and frightening.”

“I think…bizarre is the most accurate term,” he mumbled, focusing back in front of him.

Soon enough, the four arrived at the Tico household with open arms and bright smiles. Rose was squished into a Tico sandwich before her parents broke off into greetings. Rey released a surprised squeak, immediately brought into a bone crushing hug, not expecting Mrs. Tico to come in strong.

“Oh, my dear we have miss you! We were so happy when Rose told us you were coming back and with a boyfriend!” Marie Tico said as she pulled back from her hug.

“Yup _boyfriend_ ,” Rey muttered trying her best to not sound awkward and failing miserably. Taking a step back closer to Ben, she introduced him. “This my Ben, I mean Ben—Ben Solo.”

“Uh, nice to meet both of you.”

He blushed at the stuttered introduction, but shook Mr. Tico’s hand only to be pulled into a hug as well. He stumbled but accepted the gesture.

They turned to Finn with the same warmth of enthusiasm, speaking on how much they heard of him from Rose. He chuckled along to their good natured ribbing and held his tongue at Rose’s wishes. Quickly, the couple ushered everyone into the house and began leading them to their rooms, allowing everyone to get situated.

Watching them interact so happily with both Ben and Finn made Rey wonder why Rose was so hesitant to introduce Finn as her boyfriend. She could not helped but ask her friend once they were alone in her room.

“Because they have either obsessively loved or vehemently hated all of Paige’s ex’s,” Rose explained stubbornly as she unpack her suitcase. “I don’t want either of those situations for Finn—he matter’s too much to be subjected to the Tico fury.” She shook her head tiredly, before a wicked smirk graced her lips. “But it seems like they loved Ben, I swear him and my dad have not shut up about the Goldbach conjecture since we showed up—”

“Hey it is an very interesting unsolved problem!” Rey defended, “But need I remind you, Ben is my _fake_ boyfriend—”

“Who’d you like to make your very real boyfriend,” Rose taunted back knowingly.

Rey frowned sharply, going back to her own unpacking.

“I see the way you look at him, and the way her looks at you—”

“He looks at me?” Rey perked up, before hampering her mood down. “Not that I care or anything. He is just a smug—”

“Nice and awkward guy, perfect for a clever socially awkward girl I know,” Rose said in a singy-song voice. “It’s like the beginning of a Hallmark movie—”

“Shut up,” Rey grumbled. “My life is not some little—”

_“Girls! We are going to have a Christmas movie marathon!”_

“We are finishing this conversation later,” Rose declared before running out of the room in excitement. Shaking her head fondly, Rey followed.

The things she did for her friends.

* * *

The next two days were filled with Christmas preparations and festive joy. Christmas movies and music filled the background as cookies and hot chocolate were made. The Ticos waited until their daughter and her friends arrived to decorate the Christmas tree, knowing it to be her favorite part of the season. Throughout the house, Rose sneakily hung up mistletoe, only for Rey to take it down whenever she caught sight of it. She knew what game her friend was playing, and Rey wanted none of it. If she liked Ben…well Rey was going to go about it at her own pace.

Christmas presents were hidden and wrapped periodically the day before Christmas Eve, hoping no one would catch sight of the thoughtful gifts. Surprisingly, Ben brought gifts as well, no one expecting or asking him since he was a last minute addition. However he insisted, sharing an all too knowing grin with Rey.

She may have went shopping with him for said gifts after their little ‘getting to know your fake significant other’ coffee date. And maybe the spent the rest of the afternoon running about Barnes & Nobel arguing heatedly about their favorite books.

Though she’d never tell Rose or Finn, the two jumping at any little bread crumb either she or Ben revealed about their real blooming friendship.

Later that night, Mr. Tico was able to get a fire going in the fireplace, warming up the entire house, Rose convincing Finn to join her in roasting marshmallows, shoving poorly made smores into each other’s faces.

Rey and Ben shared a grimace.

“Come one you two, stop being fuddy-duddys!” Mrs. Tico teased the two as she patiently roasted her marshmallow to a nice brown crisp. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Finn and Rose were dating instead of you two.”

The fake dating couple shared a flash of panic—sure they weren’t the most touchy feely. They both agreed they weren’t much for PDA real or not, nor were they pressured to do so. But then again, they didn’t do anything enormously sweet and gooey like Finn and Rose…who were honestly doing a terrible job acting like they were head over heels in love with one another.

Glancing down at the smores in her hand, Rey ungracefully thrusted the half eaten piece to Ben—

Only to hit his chin instead of his mouth, smearing sticky, warm marshmallow on his face. Stunned, his mouth dropped open, eyes shut tightly.

Half of her expect him to blow up; maybe all those rumors were true?

A sputter of laughter came from him, followed by full, hearty chuckles. His entire face brightened, Rey caught in the moment with him.

If she wasn’t too sure she liked Ben Solo, she knew for sure now.

Scrunching up his face, he tried to lick the mess off his face, failing horribly. Giggling at his attempts, Rey reached to help him, the two becoming an awkward mess of chocolate and marshmallow in their efforts.

“Gah, my hands are disgusting!”

“Try looking at my face, sweetheart.”

She muttered apologies through her laughter, Ben waving them away. He’d get his revenge later if he so desired. He didn’t.

* * *

As the rest of the house headed for bed, Rey decided to stick around and help Mrs. Tico clean up the metal skewers used that night. The woman didn’t protest as usual, Rey finding the response odd until the impending conversation came.

“I like him—he is a very sweet boy,” Mrs. Tico compliment as she handed Rey a clean, wet skewer to dry. “A bit shy and…serious,” she decided on with a little shrug, “But he reminds me of my husband.”

“ _Mr. Tico_?” Rey gapped, surprised at this comparison. Mr. Tico was an extremely joyful man, who could make easy conversation and loved to make awful math puns. Imagining him stuffy and serious was strange…but not entirely impossible.

Mrs. Tico hummed knowingly as she scrubbed. “The Mr. Tico you know is the product of nearly thirty years of marriage and two daughters too much like his wife,” she chuckled. “The Mr. Tico _I_ met was just an annoying and serious guy named Rian in my psychology classes in school.” She handed over the next skewer, Rey drying it quickly. “The quiet and annoying ones can be the sweetest sometimes, and I think you kind of have that with your Ben. He’s a good match for you.”

“Yeah,” Rey muttered, feeling a brief stinging behind her eyes, “my Ben.”

She really hoped one day it would be true.

* * *

On the morning of Christmas Eve, Mrs. Tico recruited Ben and Rey to be her kitchen helpers, surprised to learn the two knew their way around the kitchen better than Finn and Rose. In fact, the woman sent the two troublemakers to set up the table and redecorate it to their liking just to keep them occupied.

Meanwhile Ben was put on ham duty, while Rey on a variety of sauces and little sides.

As Rey stirred the cranberry sauce, she heard Mrs. Tico tsk beside her.

“Well, they look quite cute together,” the mother said quietly, loud enough for only Rey to hear. From their spot in the kitchen they could see out into the dinning room, Rose giggling Finn continued to arrange and rearrange the garland in the middle of the table. “Don’t tell her this, but I was hoping she’d bring him along to introduce him as her _boyfriend_.”

Rey’s stilled, eyes widening.

Wait— _what_?

“You—you want Rose to date?” Rey asked, hoping her astonishment wasn’t too obvious. “You want her to date Finn?”

Mrs. Tico frowned, puzzled by the questions. “Of course, she only mentions him all the time in her phone calls.”

Leave it to Rose to gush over Finn to her parents, already planting the seeds of a potential relationship, only to crush them by hiding the truth.

Hurriedly, Rey cleared her throat. “Um. Excuse me. I need to use the restroom.”

She scrambled out of the kitchen before either Mrs. Tico or Ben could call after her. Passing through the dinning room, she looped her arm through Rose’s, roughly dragging the shorter woman along with her.

“Hey!” Her friend cried out, stumbling after Rey. They stopped into the hall, Rose attempting to catch her breath. “What wa—”

“You need to tell your parents about Finn, and about me and Ben,” she ordered her best friend sternly, standing her ground.

Rose reeled back, shaking her head defiantly. “Why?”

An exasperated groan left Rey, staring Rose down. “Because they _love_ him! And want you two together!” She exclaimed, discreetness out the window. “And I don’t think my relationship with Ben is acting like a warmer or buffer—whatever you called it—”

“So you and Ben now have a relationship?”

“Yes,” Rey rolled her eyes, “One you fabricated.”

“And one you are thoroughly enjoying!” Rose shot back, bring the conversation to Rey rather than herself once more. “Just admit it; you like him!”

“You just admit Finn is you boyfriend!” Rey yelled back, jaw tightening as Rose challenged her.

“No you first!”

“No you!”

“No—”

“What’s going on?”

Their heads whipped to the end of the hall.

Rey felt her blood drain at the sight of Ben. How much had he heard of the shouting? If he heard it _all_ …oh no. She wasn’t ready to talk about her feelings. Honestly, she’d never feel ready; she was too afraid to touch this… _tension_ between her and Ben. Whatever it was, it felt special. Too important to screw up through some fake dating scheme.

“Nothing!”

“Rey has something to tell you!” Rose called out before abandoning Rey and Ben in the hall, dashing the way she came.

Frustrated, Rey felt a growl bubbling, only for her anger to subside when a warm hand touched her shoulder.

Ben peered down at her, eyebrows scrunched together in concern. Hoping to ease him, Rey smiled hesitantly up at him.

“Rey, what is she going on about? Rose has been weirdly cryptic about this whole fake boyfriend thing.”

Licking her lips, she considered her next words carefully.

The worst that could happen was Ben could not reciprocate her feelings. Which would hurt like a punch in the gut, but at least she’d know. But best case scenario? He’d like her back and maybe this fake dating could become _real_ dating and…

The mere possibility of the good definitely outweighed the bad.

Opening her mouth, Rey began to speak, “I…I like you,” she admitted in a whisper. “Like, like you-like you in the romantic sort of way.”

She was unbelievably quiet, but Ben heard every word. And in the silence understood her fear.

“Don’t…don’t be afraid I feel it too.”

Relief filled her lungs as he said those words, his own terrified but loving gaze matching hers.

Gently she reached for his hand, Ben intertwining their fingers at first contact. Silently, they shared a secret smile. Nothing more needed to be said between the two as compassionate understanding pulsed through them.

* * *

Returning to the dinning room, Rey tapped on Rose’s shoulder. Her friend turned around with a stubborn purse of her lips.

Rey simply smiled in return.

“I told him.”

“You _what_?” Rose squeaked.

“I told Ben I like him, and he likes me—”

“Well, anyone could have told you that,” Finn interjected, coming to join the conversation, oblivious to the troubled situation between the girls. “But good for you Peanut!”

He raised his hand for hi-five, Rey returning it without missing a beat.

Rose worked her mouth to find an adequate response. “But—”

“You need to keep your end—I told Ben I liked him first, and now you need to tell your parents about Finn.”

“What?” Finn now gaped at her, his eyes ping-ponging between her and his girlfriend. “I’m confused. I thought I was just ‘Friend Finn’ here.”

Nervousness flowed through Rose as she crossed her arms over her chest, her mouth forming a hardline. Feeling for her friend, Rey squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

“Rose, your parents love you and they want you and Finn together. If they truly were obsessed with him they would have already pestered you and if they hated him, I highly doubt he would still be here.” Her gaze drifted to the hopeful Finn, Rey feeling her heart tug at the sigh of him. “I think you both might like telling them… _soon_.”

The sweet, silly couple shared a look. Finn smile softly at Rose, the girl ducking away bashfully before lifting her gaze again to find him still watching her carefully. The three knew what she had to do.

Closing her eyes with a sigh, Rose nodded. “Oh wise Rey,” she declared dramatically, “You are right.” She then turned to Finn, “Come on, Big Deal. We got some news to share.”

Rose led Finn into the kitchen, where both Mr. and Mrs. Tico were, the two arguing over one of the casseroles.

“Mom, dad,” Rose interrupted loudly, earning raised eyebrows and a stunned looks from her parents. Though it seemed she did not care, holding her head high. “Finn and I are together!” She declared almost stiltedly, eye shut tightly. Beside Finn, gazed down in astonished adoration.

“Oh,” Mr. Tico uttered, not phased by the news. “I thought you two already were…”

Mrs. Tico slapped his arms lightly. “Dear,” she hissed to him, before looking back at her daughter.

Rose stared at them, puzzled by their lack of reaction.

Her mother then shrugged sheepishly. “Rosie…we kind of already knew.”

“ _What_?” Rose shrilled, dropping Finn’s hand.

From the kitchen doorway, Rey erupted into a bark of laughter, slapping a hand over her mouth a second to later. Over her shoulder, Ben was doing no better, the two restraining their chuckles poorly at the scene before them.

“My daughter, you are not as subtle as you like to think you are,” Mr. Tico said, “We figured when he started popping up more in your calls home you liked him and we could only hope…” He then shrugged and waved to them. “And well we were right.”

“I can’t believe…” Rose began, a bicker emerging amongst the Ticos with poor Finn caught in the middle.

Rey smiled at the family, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders with the secret out in the open.

Until she realized—

“Hey, Rose never told them about us not dating,” Rey told Ben, prepared to interject and break the news.

Ben tilted his head to the side, feigning deep thought. “Does she really need to though? I mean, we are a, a thing now.”

“Are we?” she grinned coyly up at him. Her gaze then caught the sight of green and red; she must have missed one, or Rose worked fast.

Ben followed her line of sight, his own smile emerging. “Mistletoe,” he murmured softly, his eyes dropping back to her.

Shyness once more clouded his eyes as he brushed her hair behind her ear. Eyes shining brightly, Rey leaned up and captured his lips in a welcoming kiss.

Maybe her favorite problems were in the realm of math, but this problem had the sweetest solution.

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I HOPE YOUR DAY IS FABULOUS!!! You are amazing human being who gives so much to this community and i can not thank you enough for being the wonderful you that you are :D 
> 
> Anyways...let me know what you think! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!


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